Getting your child excited for Rituals

YAY for inspiration!  If you read my post from yesterday, you can tell I was having some issues.  I've posted about a lot of spiritual things lately, and when the time came for me to write I completely drew a blank.  So I improvised.  Later, I was baking yet more cookies, because we are giving them away as gifts this year.  It's a cheap year, I think I've said this before.  Regardless, as I was baking cookies I was thinking about the Yule Ritual and Brianna and Cookies, and everything just clicked.

Cakes and Ale = Cookies and Juice = Toddler/Child Participation in Rituals?

I have no clue why this never came up before.  I mean, how many kids love cookies and juice?  All of them.  How many kids will do just about anything to be able to have cookies and juice?  Most of them.  Children that young aren't really interested in spiritual things yet, and I wouldn't force Brianna to contribute if she didn't want to.  If she wants to participate in order to have juice and cookies at the end, why not?  It gets her used to participating in the ritual and used to doing rituals with the family.  I mean, Christians bribe their kids with after-church McDonald's, why can't I do the pagan equivalent?  If you don't know anyone who does this, try going to a McDonald's in bible belt Manitoba at noon on a Sunday.  Even if you can find parking, you won't find a table.  Mennonites have HUGE families.  I don't think there is anything wrong with using little tricks to get a child interested, at least until the age where they are starting to make those choices for themselves.

So, here is my recipe for Whatever Cookies, these are what I was making when the thought came upon me.  They are so named because you add a cup of whatever to them, chocolate chips, nuts, coconut, etc.  They can be whatever kind of cookie you want!

Whatever Cookies

½ Cup butter, softened.  (Or brick margarine)
½ Cup packed brown sugar
¼ Cup white sugar
1 egg
1 ½ tsp vanilla
1 ¼ Cup flour
½ tsp baking soda
1 Cup of Whatever

Preheat oven to 375°.  In a large bowl, cream the butter using an electric mixer on low.  Add the sugars and cream together.  Add egg and vanilla and mix, still on low.  In a medium bowl, stir together flour and baking soda.  Add half at a time to wet mixture, beating just to combine.  Fold in whatever.  I used chocolate chips this time, but they are yummy with just about everything.  Drop by teaspoonfuls on to greased baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until golden.  I personally find 8 minutes is long enough for me.  Makes 36 teaspoon size cookies, they are crisp instead of soft.  This recipe makes awesome monster cookies with M&Ms, but it makes considerable less, numerically. Aren't I great at stating the obvious?

Hope you all have a great day, and have fun planning Yule!!!

Goddess Bless,

S.